Switchblade

Chapter 14: Inside Secret

Killian approached the bar with his hands in his pockets as Tati wiped down a glass.

"What do you want?" she asked and placed the glass down. She didn't look at him as she grabbed another glass.
"Whiskey. One cube."
She turned to see the shelves then grabbed one of the whiskey bottles.

She took a large ice cube with the use of her small tongs and placed it into the glass. Then began pouring the liquor inside.

She finished and placed the drink in front of him, finally looking at his face.

She noticed something as he took the glass to take a sip.

She looked at his features.
They weren't lying... she thought to herself.
She agreed he was attractive when she actually took the time to really look at him.
Not attractive enough for her to forget what he'd done like he was to the other women. But attractive enough for her to admit he had at least one thing going for him aside from a shit personality.

She put the bottle back on the shelf.

She turned back around and caught him staring at her.
"Get your eyes off of me." she commanded.
"You look good." he said and sipped again with eyes on her chest.
"You're fucking disgusting." She placed a napkin down in the spot where he placed his drink so there wouldn't be a water ring.
"Yea." he agreed.
"That's not a compliment."
"I ain't say it was. I just agreed."
She rolled her eyes.

"Shouldn't you be over there talking to your boys about how women don't deserve rights and should just be used to fuck and beat up? Or maybe you'll give each other tips on how to kidnap other women." Tati said sarcastically.
"Still on that?"
She looked at him. "It's been two fucking days." she sneered.
He didn't respond.
"And you have the audacity to have me bartending for you."
"Surprised you didn't run."
She didn't want to tell him about how she tried and saw the men who stood on the other side of the exit door.
"It's pointless anyway. You'd either find me and take me again or you'd kill my mother."
"Smart girl." he stated and finished his glass.
She looked at him.

He tapped the glass with his finger.
She took the whiskey bottle to pour him a refill.

"You'd do better at just getting comfortable. I don't hit you. I don't starve you." He sipped his drink.
"You've bruised my arm because you hold me too fucking tight when you make us walk together." she stated and showed him the mark.
"I apologize." he replied. "I could've done worse. You're only here to stress her out. You didn't do anything wrong, why would I punish you?"
"You are punishing me. By keeping me here and away from my angel of a mother who needs my help to gather up the money you claim she fucking owes you. Do you know how sick it is to take advantage of a struggling middle aged woman trying to make ends meet?" She placed her hands on the counter and just stared at him.
He stared back.
"You have a penthouse for an extra room if you're just a little too sleepy or wasted. You work in some twelve story building. This club is probably owned by you, I can tell by the way you walk into the building, and your suit is fucking dripping cash with a watch to match. You aren't fucking poor. You're greedy. I don't just hate you because you took me from my house and brought me to some unknown building, I hate you because you did that to my mother who has done nothing wrong to anyone ever!" she stated.
The two just stared at one another.

"Tatiana! Can I get a refill?!" Silas asked.
"What ya got?!" she asked.
"Bourbon!"
She took the bottle and walked it over to the men at the table.

Killian just stared at the shelves and finished his second glass.

He looked down at the counter.

Tati came back.

"You drink?" he asked.
"No." she lied.
"You're a bartender that don't drink?" He looked at her.
"Yea, what does it matter? You tryna get me drunk?" she rebutted.
"Why do you keep thinkin' I'm tryin' to take advantage of you?"
"You took advantage of my mother." she shrugged. "I don't put it past you."
"I'm not the one that gave your mother the contract or found her business. We usually just go after men with gambling addictions. As a matter of fact your mother was the only woman on the list. Which is why I went."
She looked at him, disgusted.
"Not to fuck her, fix your face."
She rolled her eyes.
"'Cause the rest of 'em would've beat her for the money. I read her age too. Met her and she's a sweet old lady. Even gave her an extra week to have the money."
"Well aren't you a saint?" Tati replied sarcastically.
Killian licked the inside of his cheek. "You're here and I gave her six months."
"You told her to sell the restaurant."
"Tati,-..."
"Tatiana." she corrected coldly and looked at him.
"Tatiana." he fixed.
She looked away again.
"I gave her six months."
"Yea, I heard you."
"She had 14,000 after a week."
"Okay?"
"All she owe me is a little less than 50,000. I'm not even gonna raise the interest each month. All she has to pay is $50,000."
Tati picked her head up to look at him.

Killian tapped his finger on the glass.

She took the whiskey bottle and began pouring him a third glass.

"If your mother's smart, she'll just keep doing what she was doing before and she'll make that money in less than three months to save you, her debt, and the restaurant. If she's a fuckin' dumbass, then your restaurant goes down the drain, but that ain't my fault." he stated. "I win either way."
"You told her to sell the restaurant, she's probably thinking irrationally. She's in a panic."
"Ain't my problem."
Tati sighed.

"I also ain't beatin' her daughter to a pulp every day she doesn't pay me back."
Tati looked back at him.
"I don't have guys watchin' her every move just to scare her. And I don't break somethin' of hers each week my hands are empty. Unlike what I've done with those abusive dickheads that try to steal my money."
"Okay. Why not?" Tati asked curiously.
"She fixed me a cup of coffee and her house smells nice."
He stood up with his glass and began walking back to the table. He sipped with the other hand in his pocket.

Tati watched him and thought about his words.
Now she wondered how to get the message out to her mom to convince her she doesn't have to sell the restaurant to make the money. He'll take the money no matter where it comes from, he just wanted to play mind games with her like some fucked up joke.

Another one of the men came to the bar.

"Shot of vodka." said Dominic.
"Just one? You got somewhere to be in the morning or somethin'?" she sassed.
He scoffed. "Three."
"That's a start."
She set out three shot glasses and reached for the vodka on the shelves.

The room was starting to smell like cigarettes from all the times the men lit them at their table.